City crisis 'could boost graduate jobs in accounting'

Those looking for graduate jobs in accountancy could find their skills in demand because of the economic downturn, one expert has claimed.

Charlie Ball, deputy director of research at the Higher Education Careers Service Unit, explains the current turmoil in the City of London means people with accounting skills will be needed to sort things out.

"It's accountants who are going to have to scrutinise the bottom line, accountants who are going to have to pick up all the pieces," he says.

Accountants will also have a large part to play in any future mergers which follow in the wake of the HBOS and Lloyds TSB deal, Mr Ball added.

Last week, it was announced that financial services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has been named as the best graduate employer by the Times for the fifth year running.

The company beat rival Deloitte by seven votes, with around a quarter of graduates selecting an accountancy firm as their employer of choice.